Lamar Alexander Says Reconciliation Would “End The Senate”; Never Stopped Him From Using It

Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander said on “This Week” that using the reconciliation process to reform health care would “end the Senate.” (via Think Progress)

The reconciliation procedure is a little-used legislative procedure — 19 times, it’s been used. It’s for the purpose of taxing, spending, and reducing deficits. But the difference here is, that there’s never been anything of this size and magnitude and complexity run through the Senate in this way. There are a lot of technical problems with it, which we could discuss. It would turn the Senate, it would really be the end of the Senate as a protector of minority rights, the place where you have to get consensus, instead of just a partisan majority.

Alexander has voted for reconciliation at least four times during his seven year Senate career.